Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade has consistently downplayed how sore his left knee had been in recent weeks and continued after Sunday’s game to say he wouldn’t use any injuries as an excuse for his performance. But multiple sources close to Wade and the team said that he required the minor draining procedure on Wednesday before the team’s loss in Game 3. After having fluid drained from his troublesome left knee last week, Wade had one of the worst playoff games of his career as Miami stumbled into a 2-1 series hole against the Indiana Pacers.

In the days between Games 3 and 4, Wade faced some of the harshest criticism from the Heat fan base — with some suggesting on Twitter that he be traded in the offseason. But Wade got away from the frustration and even his teammates on Friday to spend the day at Indiana University with coach Tom Crean, who was Wade’s college coach during this three seasons at Marquette. Wade said the 48 hours of treatment and time away allowed him to regroup for Sunday’s pivotal game. “The last two days have been mental,” Wade said. “It was great for me just getting away and to get that energy that I needed. I know I was struggling on the offensive end, but I didn’t want that to affect my overall game.” […] “I’m a no-excuse type person,” Wade said. “When I’m on the basketball court, I’m all about trying to help my team win. Obviously, when things are going great, everyone pats you on the back. When things are not going great, some people turn their back. But I’m the kind of person that always believe in myself, believe in my teammates and know that it can always turn around.”

Dwyane Wade and LeBron James (himself no slouch in Game 4) will need to remain dominant against the hungry and confident Pacers, as the two superstars must shoulder more responsibility with Chris Bosh sidelined indefinitely.